System and device for signaling purposes



Nov. 23, 1943. s. HERMANN SYSTEM AND DEVICE FOR SIGNALING PURPOSES FiledMay 10, 1941 INVENTOR 5/69 0/7 flsrmann film M ATTORNEY Patented Nov.23, 1943 OFFICE SYSTEM AND DEVICE FOR SIGNALING PURPOSES SiegwartHermann, New York, N. Y. Application May 10, 1941, Serial No. 392,911

4 Claims. (Cl. 25077) This invention relates to a system and devices forsignaling purposes and more particularly to a signalin system to be'usedin the dark.

One 'of the objects of the invention is to provide a system whichenables the user to give a kind of light signal by luminescence,fluorescence or phosphorescence. The light signals, according to thisinvention, are not perceivable by third persons from any considerabledistance. l I

Another object of the invention is to insur thatthese faintsignalinglight spots generated by my system are visible only in onedirection.

This system will be of importance, e. g., for the maintenance of traflicduring blackouts inasmuch as the light signals given by, or to, carscannot be realized from airplanes flying overhead. In times or war,military unit using the signaling system, according to this invention,may be moved without disclosing their position.

The examples given are but two out of a considerable amount of otheruses.

The system, according to this invention, comprises a special device forsending the signals and a special device for receiving the signals andrendering them percelvable, namely a special kind of reflector. g

In the sending device normal light sources are used, such as ordinaryelectric bulbs as common on vehicles, or the light sources of normalflashlights. These lights, according to my invention, are covered by ascreen of special glass which is very dark. Light beams'of normal wavelength cannot penetrate this kind ofglass; only the dark rays having awave length of 3,000 to 4,500 A. are able to pass through this screen.When these rays fall onto the reflector, luminescence of this reflectorwill occur, but it will be perceivable in only one single direction.

As to the screen to be used, according to this invention, I am awarethat the so-called Wood glass has been used in connection withultraviolet rays which cause luminescense, fluorescence orphosphorescence in meeting certain objects. However, beams originatingfrom ordinar bulbs do not penetrate Wood glass sufliciently to generateluminescence of appropriate objects. Now I have discovered that it ispossible to produce'a kind of special glass which permits the raysgenerated in ordinary electric bulbs having a wave length of, e. g.,3,000 to 4,500 A. to penetrate it, but not the light beams of normalwave lengths.

The glass, according to my invention, is made by adding oxide of nickeland oxide of copper to silica, borax, potash, possibly borate orpotassium,

Example 1 The basic material contains 7 7 Parts Silica 580 Boric acid v20 Potassium carbonate 220 Borate of potassium -80 In order to obtainpermeability for wave lengths of 3,100 to 4,200 A, 7 parts of oxide ofnickel and 0.5 part of oxide of copper are added.

Example 2 In order to obtain permeability for wave lengths of 3,300 to4,200 A, 8 parts of oxide of nickel and 5 parts of oxide of copper areadded to the basic material described in Example 1.

Example 3 In order to obtain permeability for wave lengths of 3,400 to4,000 A, 14 parts of oxide of nickel and 4 parts of oxide copper areadded to the basic material described in Example 1.

The permeability in all examples is measured with the spectrograph ofFry; plates are of 3 mm. thickness; exposure is 15 seconds.

The receiving device of the signaling system, according to my invention,comprises a reflecting part which is provided with well-known agentsluminescent, fluorescent or phosphorescent when met by rays having awave length of 3,000 to 4,500 5., e. g. with fluorescein, uranine,sulfide of zinc, etc.

In the drawing the reference characters in the various figures denotelike parts:

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic section through a system, according to myinvention.

Fig. 2 is a plain View of the reflecting device.

Fig. 3 shows a special construction of a sending device.

Fig. 4 is another special construction of a sending device.

The light source 1 comprises an ordinary light bulb 2 provided with ascreen 3 composed of dark glass as above described.

No special screen will be necessary when the glass of the bulb consistsof a dark glass as above described.

The construction, according to Fig. 3 comprises a tubular shaped screen9 and, according to Fig. 4, a funnel shaped screen Iii. Both of them areopen at the front, protecting the light beams from reaching thereflector of the sending device. The reflecting device 4 comprises abase plate 5 and calottes 6 and 1 arranged on both sides of w the baseplate. The calottes on the back are provided with an agent 8,luminescent when met by the waves originating from the light source. Thecalottes 6 and 1 are arranged on the front and back of base plate 5 in acorresponding manner 1 so as to insure that reflection will take placein i only one direction, namely a directiondire'ctly;

opposite the light source.

be made without departing from the spirit of'rny V invention.

What I claim is: g

1. In a signaling system for observable utilization of invisible raysconsisti i igof aproj'eoting and rejecting device, said projecting deviccomprising a reflector, a normal electric light source and. meansprotecting said light (source-'the use of one single protecting screenor filter for the light source consisting of .a special glass containingof-a transparent base'plate, said calottes being rovided on the backwith an agent, luminescent, when met by the waves originating from thelight source and said calottes being arranged on the front and on theback of the base plate in a corresponding manner so as to insure thatreflection will take place in only one direction, namely a directiondirectly opposite the light source.

2. In a signaling system for observable utilization of invisible raysthe use of a screen consisting of a special glass comprising a basicmaterial 7 containing silica, potash, borate of potassium, ,,and amixture of)? parts of oxide of nickel and 0.5 partof 'oxide'of copper,said glass being permeable "for'a wave length of 3,100 to 4,200 A.

I have described preferred embodiments ,of-my; invention, but it isunderstood that changes may 3. Ina signaling system for observableutilization, QfinVisible rays the use of a screen consisting of aspecial glass comprising a basic material containing silica, potash,borate of potassium, and a mixture of 8 parts of oxide Of nickel and 5parts of oxide of "copper, said glass being permeabl'e "for a wavelength or'a'soo -to'4,2oo A. j

4. In a signaling system forobservable'utiliza tiono'f invisible raysthe use of a screen con's'ist ing of a special glass comprising a basicmaterialcontaining silica, potash, .borate ofpotassiumand a mixture of 14 parts of oxide ofnickel and .4 parts of oxide of ceppegse glass Zbeingn le able for a Wavelength of 3,300 to 4,400 A.

- jSIEGWART HERMANN

